
– Advertisement –
President Mohamed Irfaan Ali told a cheering crowd in Anna Regina on Saturday night that every inch of Essequibo belongs to Guyana.
The concert, organised by the government, was filled with national pride. People waved flags, chanted “Essequibo is we own,” and enjoyed performances from local dancers and musicians.
The president warned Venezuela not to ignore orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which said earlier this month that Venezuela must not hold any elections in the Essequibo region. Venezuela had announced a plan to hold fake elections to choose a governor for the area, even though it is part of Guyana and has been for decades.
President Ali said Guyana will never give up any part of its 83,000 square miles. He called Venezuela’s claims a “man-made controversy” and said only the ICJ can settle the matter, not threats or lies.
“There have been more actions from Venezuela recently, and we are on high alert,” he said. “These actions break international law and peace agreements.”
He also said Guyana will continue to take the high road and solve the matter through diplomacy, not conflict. “We will show our unity through our culture, not with weapons,” he added.
President Ali reminded the audience that Guyana has strong international support. Groups like CARICOM, the Commonwealth, the OAS, and the UN Security Council have all spoken out against Venezuela’s actions.
He stressed again that Essequibo is not for negotiation. The border was settled in 1899, and that ruling still stands. Venezuela is wrong to try and change it.
“We say to Venezuela with one voice: you are dead wrong. All of Essequibo belongs to Guyana. We will not bend.”
The event was attended by many top officials, including the Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, and members of the military and diplomatic community. Their presence was intended to show that Guyana is united in standing up to Venezuela.
President Ali has also announced that Guyana will be having national and local elections on September 1st.
Source: Guyana GIS.
– Advertisement –
